Blood and Changes
by Acita
Summary: Blend of Blood and Chocolate and Twilight. Story begins directly after B&C and skips a little in Twilight. What happens when the pack moves to Forks and Vivian befriends Bella? How does Edward feel? What will he do? And what's the Black's secret?
1. Decision

**Yay! I finally uploaded my fanfic! Go me! Anyway, if you haven't read Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause and Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, then you shouldn't read this.**

**Disclaimer: Story idea- Mine. Story characters- Not mine.**

Vivian scaled the drainpipe along the side of the house with ease before slipping quickly through her window and closing it from the inside. She then lay on her stomach on her bed and sank into blissful unconsciousness, the sounds and scents of the night still swirling in her mind.

She awoke to the clatter of dishes downstairs and could only guess that Esme was preparing breakfast for Thomas and Rudy. _Or lunch_, she corrected mentally after glancing at her bedside clock. She took a moment to savor the feel of the satin sheets against her body before slipping out of the covers to quickly grab some clothes, don a robe, and head for the bathroom. Only when she stood under the scalding spray of the shower did she pause to reflect of the night before.

"Join me", Gabriel had requested, and Vivian had followed. They had run together as true mates should, savoring the change to fur and running side by side for endless hours. The pungent scent of the forest called to her even now, and she found herself longing to run with Gabriel again.

He kept to his own pace, speeding through the trees effortlessly. Unlike her age-mates, Gabriel seemed to find no need to impress her by outdoing her. They had simply run for hours.

She had run ally night many times before, savoring the freedom, but it felt so _right _to be beside Gabriel; a feeling she chose not to dwell on.

She rinsed the last trace of soap from herself before throwing on a robe and heading downstairs for some much-needed coffee.

She found her mind again wandering to last night. She had been a bit nervous when he asked her to join him, having thought it a ploy to get her alone in his courtship. She had turned out wrong though. When asked, he had responded simply that by running beside him, she had acknowledged her place as his mate.

So that was it. She and Gabriel were officially mates.

She shouldn't have been as thrilled as she was.

The kitchen was blissfully empty when she entered, Rudy having left for work and Esme off entertaining Thomas. There was already coffee in the coffee maker. She poured a mug and sat down, idly sipping it.

Now that Aiden knew about them, of course they had to move. There was no other option. Gabriel was already looking for a place, somewhere far from Maryland. The phone rang only a few moments later, jarring her from her thoughts. She answered it after a few seconds search for the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey babe", came the gravely reply. It was Gabriel.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Found a place."

"Really? I was just thinking about that. I'll get everyone together."

An hour later everyone was gathered in the living room. Gabriel wasted no time in getting down to business.

"I've found a place. It's ninety-four acres of land and a mansion, so there's plenty of space. The land surrounding the inn in West Virginia has been sold. That, combined with the insurance money, should cover this new place. The town is relatively small, as is the school, which means less trouble for the boy to get into. There's another pack there, but they're far enough away that we're not encroaching on their territory. In short, I think it's perfect."

There was a silence after he spoke. Renata broke it. "When are we leaving?"

There were murmurs of agreement. This place sounded great, with plenty of room to run and very few places for the boys to cause trouble. "We'll start packing tomorrow", was Gabriel's reply.

Lucian spoke up. "And just where is this _perfect_ place?"

Gabriel turned and replied calmly, "Forks, Washington."

**Yay! My first fanfic! I love reviews, but please be gentle. No flames, is what I'm asking ;)**


	2. Disappearances, Torture, and a Lie

**Okay, so the second chapters' finally up! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!**

_**This should be very... interesting. I mean the Quelutes are Native American and didnt Vivian's ancestors come from france and wasnt there something mentioned about all there kind of werewolf coming to the new world ? idk it will be also very intersting how you deal with the interaction with the cullens. CANT WAIT!**_

**Ah, very smart! Details definately count, CoCaCoLa29! **

**_omg yay! a Twilight and Blood and chocolate fic! woot! heh. i forgot that there was an Esme in Blood and Chocolate... that's just weird; my two favorite books(well not counting Johnny The Homicidal Maniac, cause thats a comic book) having characters with the same name. O.o keep writing, cause this really a good fic!_ **

**Eeep, you're right! There are two Esme's! I'll try not to let it get too confusing. **

**_This is a brilliant idea! You are combining two of my favorite books of all time! And you're donig it in such a creative way, too. I really like your writing style. Totally unique. And it's obvious that you have a very good grasp of Vivian's character, like how she thought she should be less thrilled about being Gabriel's mate and stuff. I can't wait until you introduce the Twilight characters into the mix - that'll be absolutely great. Here, have a Oreo for one of the most awesome first chapters I've ever read. Hope you update soon!_ **

**Aw, shucks. gobbles oreo  
****  
Important Okay guys, I've decided that for the story I'm going to be switching between POV's. This chapter is through Bella's eyes. The next will proably be Vivian or Jacob's POV. Or maybe Billy's... we'll see.**

"Bella", a distant voice called. I mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over. "Bella, wake up." Was there humor in that angelic voice? "Bella, you wouldn't want me to have to leave you behind, would you?"

Yes, definitely humor. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I'm up", I groaned, blinking my eyes open. He chuckled.

"Come on. If you don't hurry up, we'll be late."

"I doubt that with _your_ driving, we have even the slightest chance of being late to anything", I replied icily.

"Someone's grumpy this morning", he chided playfully. I stood carefully and made my way to the bathroom, mumbling groggily about sleepless vampires waking me early for no apparent reason. Something occurred to me as I happened to glance at the calendar.

"Edward, why am I awake at five o'clock in the morning on a _Saturday_!" More importantly, when could I go back to sleep?

He only chuckled. "Hurry up, Bella." He was walking down the stairs, presumably to fix my breakfast. Lately cooking had become his new hobby, and I his taste-testing gerbil. Not that I minded; he was good at everything.

I brushed my teeth and dressed quickly before running a brush through my hair and descending the stairs. He was setting down a plate of bacon. I sat at the table and nibbled on a piece. "Where are we going?" He didn't answer. He returned with a glass of milk and some scrambled eggs. I ate the eggs, but pleaded to an over-full stomach when he asked if I planned on finishing the bacon. He sulked, but cleared the table.

"Edward", I tried again, "where are we going?"

"All you need to know", he replied, "Is that Alice is driving, and you have nothing to fear."

I groaned. Alice was driving? She drove almost as recklessly as Edward did.

"Is she taking me shopping again?" That was the only time that Alice drove me anywhere.

His face was too innocent. "Of course not. What makes you think that?"

I scowled and began to trudge back upstairs, intending to back to sleep. School started Monday; there was no way I was letting Alice take me shopping. I wanted to _enjoy_ the two days of rest I still had, although I had to admit Alice had great fashion sense.

I stopped suddenly as I realized Edward hadn't followed me or even spoken yet. I was immediately suspicious. Last time he disappeared I had found myself in his Volvo only moments later.

I sighed and walked back downstairs, opening the door to peer out. Sure enough, his Volvo was still in the driveway. "Fine, Edward. I'll go without a fight, but know that this is completely unfair." I waited for him to reappear grinning, like he always did when I gave in. He and Alice both loved spoiling me, while I dispised them both for it.

I frowned and walked to the living room in search of the phone. Something was wrong. Edward wouldn't leave like that without saying anything. I was almost through dialing when I heard the front door open. "Hello?" I peered cautiously around the corner. I jumped when I encountered Edward's face just inches from mine. "Sorry about that Bella. Carlisle said it was important." I frowned in puzzlement and he tapped his head. "Oh. What was it?"

He thought for a moment. "Oh nothing. Just that someone needed to go hunting with Jasper. Esme volunteered."

We both knew it was a lie. "Really. Can't he go himself?" Edward seemed to ponder the question for a moment, presumably trying to put it into words. Or coming up with another lie.

"Jasper isn't as…. practiced, as trustable, as the rest of us are. Someone always goes with him."

I nodded. "Alice is not taking me shopping." I tried to sound firm, and my expression was stern, but to no avail. "Yes, you are. Alice enjoys shopping with you."

"But I hate it when-"

"Are you ready yet?

I sighed. There would be no getting out of this. "Yeah, I guess."

An hour later I found myself surrounded by only three things: Alice, many designer stores, and a Platinum Visa. I gulped and trailed behind her. Ten minutes after that, I found myself in a dressing room, clothes being tossed over the door every few minutes, at her mercy.

She insisted that I try on everything and show her each outfit, so that she could critique. I emerged in yet another pair of torn, mottled, stained jeans so that she could nod and send me back into the dressing room, the same as she had done for the past twelve outfits. And, of course, she insisted on buying them all. I scowled, but held my peace. The last time I had rejected her offer of buying me clothes, I had received a stern lecture on the Cullens; how much they enjoyed spending time with me, how they had nothing else to do with the money anyhow, how she thought of me as a sister and wished that I was easier to deal with, and last but certainly not least, how Alice didn't remember her humanity and wanted the opportunity to experience shopping with a friend.

Not soon enough, we were back in the car and driving home, the trunk brimming with shopping bags.

I had the rare opportunity to think, for it was much easier to distract myself than to be reminded that I was speeding down the highway at approximately one hundred miles per hour. I didn't want to, but my mind kept coming back to my conversation with Edward before I had been subjected to torture with Alice.

Edward never left my house without saying something. And Jasper did go hunting by himself; I had been there once or twice when he'd been leaving. And Edward never lied to me about anything. Especially not anything important. So what was he hiding?

_Why had he lied?_

**Now, off with you! Wait, where are you going? Review first!**


	3. Phone Calls and Freedom

**This is in Jacob Black's POV, just fyi.  
Thank you guys for all the reviews! I love hearing what you guys think, and knowing that while I'm hard at work typing up these incredibly short chapters, people are enjoying them and following the story. Yay!  
Well that is, except for _you, _Bekah. But you're an exception to every rule, which is why I love/hate you.**

Anyway, here's Chapter 3!

I reached into the fridge for a soda when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Dad must have answered it.

I walked into the den where Dad was indeed on the phone, only he was frowning deeply.

"And you say there's how many? Which property?"

The frown relaxed.

"Oh, yes. I've no quarrels, but I must talk to the others. Yes. What date did you say? And where will they be attending?"

He paused for a moment, as if pausing to consider something.

"Yes, I agree. Very little trouble."

He was almost smiling now, so I figured whatever it was, the worst was over. I sat down, flipped on the t.v, and turned it down so Billy could hear whoever he was talking to.

"_How_ many?"

Uh-oh. I suddenly felt bad for whoever it was on the other end.

"You're sure? I suppose if at least one or two are responsible, the others-" He seemed to have noticed me sitting beside him suddenly. He was pretty oblivious sometimes.

"Yes, alright. I'll talk to them right now. I'll call back within the hour." He hung up the phone and turned to face me.

"It seems there are to be new residents in Forks." I was immediately curious.

"Who?" Billy smiled at my interest.

"A pack from Maryland. The leader called to let us know. Damned better than some packs, with at least the courtesy of a forewarning." Dad obviously liked the new pack. I wondered if there would be anyone my age, and asked him this.

"Four boys your age, three young girls, and one other girl your age." I grinned but was quickly rebuked.

"I'd wipe that smile off my face if I were you Jacob; eldest girl's the leader's mate." My smile was replaced by a frown. That young a girl was Queen Bitch? Impossible.

I shrugged. "When are they moving in?"

Billy raised one furrowed brow in my direction before answering. "They'll be here tomorrow, but they wanted us to know they were coming so there's no surprises. Apparently they've bought the old mansion at the edge of town; set on ninety-four acres. Any more information you want that I haven't been pumped for yet?" I grinned and stood. "Nope. That's all." He grimaced and I mock-saluted before exiting the house.

Kia was sitting on the porch reading a magazine when I walked up. "Hey", she said.

"How'd you hear me?" I frowned.

She gave my boots a pointed look. "How could I not have?" I glared and sat down beside her.

"There's a new pack coming to Forks."

She looked up. "Who told you?"

"Dad. Who else?"

"Oh, quit being smart Jacob. When are they getting here, and why'd they call Billy?"

Kia looked back down at the magazine. And Dad thought I had been pumping _him _for information. One thing about Kia was that she was one of the nosiest of the pack. Not that I minded much; she was, after all, my best friend.

"Tomorrow, and they called Dad because they wanted us to know they were coming, so we wouldn't be pissed or anything." She didn't even look up. "Watch your mouth, pup."

"I'm as old as you!"

"But you're not as mature."

I stuck my tongue out at this.

"See?"

I just glared at her that time. She continued on conversationally, pretending not to have seen my face. "Well then, I say we pay them a visit sometime this week. Maybe we could run together."

I snorted and stood up. For some reason, I already knew I wasn't going to like this new pack.

Probably because they were going to live closer to Bella than I was.

Everyone in the pack knew of my 'little crush' on Bella. Sweet, innocent Bella. She knew my deepest secret, and yet thought nothing of it. Most likely because I had told her it was all a myth, just as I had told her that the Cullen's and Hale's true identity was a myth. She was naïve and obviously had no clue as to what I, and my family, was. I wasn't sure how much she knew about Doctor Cullen's family though. Probably as much as me, being that she was dating his son.

Why I had told her, though, was a mystery even to me. Maybe because I was head-over-heels and completely jealous of Edward Cullen?

"Hello!" I blinked. "Come on!"

Kia. She had been rambling about something. "What?"

"I _said_, I'm going for a run! Come on!" I grinned and nodded eagerly before dashing into the woods.

"Wanna race? Ten bucks says you'll lose!"

**-Dun dun dun- Now you know the Black's secret.  
School started today, so I won't be able to add chapters as quickly as I'd like, but I should be able to give you at least one chapter every week.**

**Review, review, review! I love hearing from you guys:D**


	4. Are we there yet?

**A/N: Okay, I forgot to say this in the last chapter. Billy and Jacob are Stephenie's. Kia is mine. I wasn't sure how to write Jacob's POV because we don't really know much about him, but I hope I did okay.  
Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers! -hands out cookies- I love hearing from you all.**

**Anywho, here's chapter Four!**

"Are we there yet?"

Both Esme and Renata growled in response.

Vivian was seated between Greg and Ulf in the back of a small Chevy pickup, and had been for the past fifteen hours. She wished now that she had accepted Gabriel's offer of a ride. There was no one else riding with him. Of course, that would mean spending approximately twenty-three hours seated behind him on a motorcycle. She grimaced at the thought.

Renata and Esme had been taking turns sleeping and driving; whenever one got tired, they pulled over and switched seats. Esme was currently driving. "Are we there yet?"

Vivian turned to glare at Greg before elbowing him.

_(Flashback)_

After the meeting, it was like a bomb went off. Everything small or important was pulled from the rooms and scattered into different vehicles.

And then the movers came. The females were ordered gruffly to stay out of the way and pack while the males helped the movers. Even Lucien, which surprised her a bit. She wasn't sure, but she supposed he would prefer to be asleep. _Serves him right_, she thought acidly_. Just because he makes his meals at Tooley's doesn't mean he shouldn't have to work. _She set another dish into a box labeled 'Fragile'.

"Vivian", came her mother's voice. "Is everything of yours packed?"

Vivian groaned but went upstairs to check. Sure enough, her room was bare but for a few cardboard boxes the movers hadn't gotten to yet. She took the stairs two at a time on her way down. Esme was waiting in the kitchen. "Well?"

Vivian answered her as she began to empty yet another shelf. "Yeah, but there are still a few boxes."

Esme snarled at her. "So then take the boxes!"

She turned to glare at her mother. "What's got your tail in a knot?"

"Just do it!"

Vivian paused to growl Esme before complying.

Once in her room, she opened a random box and saw that in it were a few trinkets. This one would go to the car. She picked it up to take it there and was walking out the front door with it in her arms when she was interrupted by Gabriel.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" She was in no mood to play around.

His eyes narrowed. "Go back in the house."

"Sorry, can't. I'm taking this to the car."

"No, you're not." He pulled the box from her arms. "Now get back in the house and help pack."

The rest of the day had gone similarly. Snarls, snaps, and glares no matter which room she was in. Everyone was so stressed over the move that they had no time for courtesy. She could have been a bitch and pulled rank at any time but no one seemed to remember that. They treated her exactly as she had been treated before the Ordeal. Like a kid, even though she was now Queen Bitch. It was getting old.

_(End flashback)_

Vivian yawned, closed her eyes, and leaned back. Now that she thought of it, in fact, no one treated her any differently. Greg, Ulf, Willem, and Finn were still as annoying as ever; the only difference was that they restricted their taunts to when they weren't around Gabriel, Orlando, or Aunt Persia. Esme still treated her like a child; there was no difference there. Renata, Lucien, Thomas, Bucky, Raul, and everyone else for that matter, treated her no differently than they had when she was fifteen. The only ones that seemed to respect her now were Aunt Persia and Orlando. Even Gabriel was still as arrogant as he'd ever been. The only difference in him was that he allowed no one _else_ to belittle her. At least, not when he was around.

She sighed and opened her eyes. She was thinking too much, which didn't make for a good nap. Everyone had been awake all night, with packing, preparations, mapping, grouping, rest stops, and finally the sun had come up. Then they'd left. And had been traveling ever since.

She growled softly and tried sleeping again, to no avail. She could hear Ulf snoring softly on her left. Greg was looking out the window when she opened them again. This just wasn't working.

He must have heard her sigh because he looked over at her. "You bored too?"

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if he was related to Einstein, but instead she nodded.

"Only about an hour left", came Renata's voice. When had they switched? Maybe she had fallen asleep after all.

Vivian felt restless, as if something important was going to happen soon.

She closed her eyes again and laid her head on Greg's shoulder. He didn't seem to mind. There were times when the Four weren't so bad, she had to admit. And he made a better pillow than the metal headrest, that was for sure. She practiced focusing only on her breathing.

_Breathe in_. Breathe out.

_Breathe in_. Breathe out.

She heard one thing before she drifted off to sleep.

"Are we there yet?"

**In this chapter, I really wanted to get it across that Vivian doesn't like being treated like a kid. She wants respect. I also wanted everyone to see that Vivian and the Four are pretty close. Greg's sweet sometimes, we all know it.  
****Where are you going? You know you want to push that pretty lavender button so you can review! **


	5. Toast and A Sudden Need For Happy Pills

**Hey everyone! I know what you're thinking: She finally updated! I know it's taken forever, but after the last chapter my brain completely fried. Oh, and schoolwork was the sidekick. -nods- Writer's block and school should both be arrested. **

**Anywho, here it is!**

I sighed as the sun slowly emerged from behind the horizon. How many sunrises had I seen? How many sunsets? Time seemed to have no meaning. Except, that is, for the time I spent with Bella. Time that was becoming more and more. I spent my mornings, evenings, and nights with that girl. She was, in a sense, my life. My dull existence had brightened considerably since I'd met her. Time did have meaning now- and any of it not spent with her was time wasted.

She was my sun, my own special little orb of light that saved me from the endless dark hours that meant nothing. The sun that was tinting the sky a brilliant magenta now was not the sun I lived to see. The light I lived to see was resting safely and peacefully in a bed on the other side of the room, mumbling intelligable little murmurings every now and then.

I was sitting comfortably in her old rocking-chair, stalling so that I wouldn't have to wake her. She looked so serene sleeping. I knew though, that if I didn't raise her soon we would be late for school.

I stood silently and crossed to room to her side, smiling down warmly at my angel. I gently placed my hands on her shoulder and pressed my lips to her forehead. She moaned and rolled over, but even as she did so her heart rate rapidly increased. I chuckled softly and grinned; even in her sleep I affected her.

I leaned down so that my face was directly by hers before I began whispering.

"Bella," She moaned again.

"Bella darling, wake up." She rolled over to face me and cracked her eyes open slightly.

They widened when she saw what had woken her up. She then flung herself into my open arms and threw her arms around my neck. Her grip was tight enough that had I been human, she would be strangling me.

The thought made my grin widen.

"Edward!", she rejoiced. It warmed my dead heart that she should be so happy to see me, the monster that hungered for her blood. I had hunted last night while she slept though, so that was not an issue at the moment. I found now, however, that there was another hunger in me. But it wasn't for her blood.

I gently disentangled her from me and placed a kiss in her palm. Her heart spluttered and sped up. "Get dressed now, we'll be late." She raised a sarcastic eyebrow. I opened her drawer and selected an outfit quickly and passed it to her. "And don't even start on my driving", I warned. She tried to glare, honestly did, and it was a good effort. She couldn't resist me though, and her glare was soon ruined by the smile that was slowly climbing from the corners of her mouth. She turned and left, presumably to change.

I descended the stairs and started on her breakfast, choosing French toast today. It was done and waiting for her at the table by the time she entered the kitchen. She took a bite and groaned. Instantly I worried.

"What is it?"

She looked at me. "I'm hoping that someday, I'll find something you can't cook perfectly. I was hoping that maybe I would find a sport or something that I was better than you at, but…" She trailed off and I chuckled lightly. "Is that why you wanted me to take you water-skiing last weekend?"

Her response was to glare.

We sped smoothly down the street, my car purring gently as I revved the engine at a stoplight. Bella sighed and relaxed into the leather seat. I smiled. She wasn't exactly used to my driving but as long as her eyes were closed or she didn't by any chance glance out the window or at the speedometer she was relatively calm. "I'm beginning to think you're using me for my car, Bella", I teased lightly.

Her eyes opened wide in fright. "Who told you?" We both laughed at that.

It was only moments later that we arrived at Forks High. I turned off the car and walked at a human pace to open her door. I then forcibly removed her books from her hands, though she insisted vehemently that she could carry them by herself.

We had lockers right next to each other, a favor from the receptionist that handled records and bookkeeping. It was merely an innocent coincidence though that we had all of the same classes. At least, that's what I told Bella. She knew me better than that though, and didn't believe me for even an instant.

There was a buzz among the rest of the student population that day, I noticed later during class. Everyone's thoughts were about the same thing: New students. Apparently there were five new juniors from Maryland that had just moved here. I remembered vaguely something Carlisle had mentioned about them.

I met Bella outside of her calculus class, the only one we didn't share. She smiled as soon as her eyes landed on me and I knew exactly what she was thinking without having to actually read her mind. Her face was so expressive, and right now it was torn between pain and happiness. We had argued playfully a few times about her feelings on that matter. She thought I was too good for her, while I thought exactly the same thing about her. How could she, a loving, innocent young girl, possibly love me? I knew her feelings on that subject drifted somewhere between dislike and acceptance. Dislike that I could think she was too good for me and acceptance that that was the way I felt and there was nothing she could do to change that.

Usually those conversations ended with a truce or a carefully timed interruption by Alice or Jasper.

Apparently the happiness won over, because she grinned and sprinted toward me and I caught her as she tripped. Her books were still clutched to her chest though, so there was no need to save those as well.

We proceeded to walk to the cafeteria together, hand in cold hand. We stood in line and I piled a plate full of assortments of food. Bella only bought a soda.

It was as we were walking to our usual table that I saw them.

They were unnatrually graceful, just like my family. There was one slight difference though, one that I must have been foolishly preoccupied to not have noticed. They _smelled_ different. As in not human.

As I walked past them, I had not even the slightest urge to drink from them. I saw then that Bella was stopped a few feet in front of me, smiling down at where one of them was seated. This one was female, and returned Bella's smile with a sincere one of her own.

A low growl started in my throat, low enough that no human ear could have heard it. Yet each of the five werewolves' eyes flicked to me before resting on the female's face. I now remembered exactly what Carlisle had mentioned about the five new students.

I looked to Bella then, and grabbed her arm. "Bella, Alice is over there." I nodded to where my sister was sitting. Bella looked at me strangely, clearly knowing that I wanted to leave, but preferring not to herself. Her words came out slowly; she was most definitely uncertain as to why I was acting so strange. "Edward, this is Vivian. She invited us to sit with her. She's my new friend."

This time, the growl that bubbled in my throat was not at all inaudible.

**I'm so sorry guys for not updating as often as I should. I have no excuse for that, but please forgive me anyway. Algebra is really kicking my butt this semester... Anyone wanna tutor me? lol. Please please _please_ review! I love hearing from you guys!  
You all get to help, because my brain is drained. What do you think Edward should do next? Who's Pov do you guys want the next chapter in? I think it'll be in Bella's. But I dont know yet. **

**Now, push the pretty button that says submit review! Muah!**

**-Acita**


	6. Tickle Fights and A Very Angry Vampire

**Okay, I know this chapter has taken forever, so I made it a realllllly long one. Forgiven me yet? Good.  
Pictures of the house, by the way: w w w . v i c t o r i a n s t a t i o n . c o m / i m a g e s / m e u x . j p g  
(take out all the spaces)  
That one's just a picture of the house from the outside.  
Here's another picture and the floorplan, so the story doesn't get confusing: w w w . h o u s e m o u s e . n e t / e b o o k s / p l a n 0 1 0 4 . h t m  
You can refer to them when the house is described, and it'll help. Cuz i'm nice enough to do that for ya'll.**

**Oh, and DarkyDearest: The whole happy pills thing. Edward realllly needs some happy pills at the end of the chapter lol. I couldn't come up with anything better, but I'll change it if I get the chance.  
Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I know I'm a pain, what with the taking forever and all, but I promise I'm not giving up on the story! Onward! lol.**

**By the way, this chapter backtracks a little bit. It starts when the drive to the pack's new house ends.  
Enjoy!  
**

"Viv…Viv, wake up." It was Greg's voice, close to her ear. She opened her eyes slowly. Her head was still on his shoulder where she had fallen asleep. A not-so-happy Gabriel was standing in front of the open back door, waiting for them to get out so that he could remove the luggage from under the bench-seat.

"I'm up", she responded groggily, blinking several times. Greg and Vivian descended from the vehicle. "What can we do to help, Gabriel?" she asked as soon as she was certain both feet were planted firmly on the ground. "You", he responded, "can go in the house and set up rooms. You can make a map and label the rooms after that, so the men will know where to put boxes."

"Got it." She grinned in spite of herself at the fact that Gabriel seemed to trust her with the setup of the house. But then again, why shouldn't he? She was Queen Bitch, after all.

She made a thorough search of the house, investigating every room before making her way to the kitchen with a marker and a large sheet of posterboard, which she would post on the wall by the door later.

The house was old with definite French, Gothic, and Victorian influences. There was an almost wrap around porch that was separated by the pantry room and a verandah in back. There were several outdoor entryways: one on the front porch that led to the kitchen, the other on the smaller portion of the separated porch that led to a hallway. Off of the main hallway were the kitchen, dining room, stairway and sitting room. There was a small eating alcove to the side of the dining room, and another hallway that led around the side of the house to the parlor, verandah, and tower stairway. The tower had been converted into a spacious bedroom suite, complete with balcony. Upstairs there were several bathrooms and more bedrooms. Being that there were so few bedrooms, everyone was going to have to share.

Vivian took out the marker and drew the floorplan. She then began to designate the pack to different rooms. She gave Aunt Persia the downstairs suite, so that the elderly wolf needn't use the stairs very often. Renata and Rolf were given one of the smaller upstairs rooms, as were Magda and Raul. Vivian pondered a moment and then wrote Ulf, Willem, Finn, and Greg's names beside the largest upstairs room, which was across from the tower-room. She opted to let Bucky and Thomas share the old upstairs servant's room. She glanced at the board and was stumped. There was only the tower-room left, and there were three others to situate: Esme, Gabriel, and herself. She supposed she could put Gabriel with Bucky and Thomas and give them the second-largest upstairs room. She made the changes and then put her's and Esme's names by the tower-room. Everyone else, Jenny Garnier, Orlando Griffin, Lucien, and others would be living in the small outbuildings on the property.

The house was large enough that it would be comfortable to live in, even sharing rooms. The pack was rarely indoors anyhow, and if they needed to they could always convert the parlor into a bedroom. She posted the board on the outside wall on the porch and went to tell the men, who were waiting to put the stuff in the rooms. It was written in erasable marker, she told them, so that they could alter it a bit to suit everybody.

She went into the kitchen and began unpacking dishes. She was soon joined by Renata and Magda and the work was done soon after. Vivian thanked them for the help and went to start unpacking her stuff. She then remembered the chart and thought that her room arrangement might have been changed. She studied all the different changes: Raul and Magda's room hadn't changed, and neither had Rolf and Renata's. Esme and Thomas were now sharing the old servant's room and Bucky had moved in with the Four. Persia's room was still downstairs. Vivian's eyes went automatically to the tower-room. Since Thomas and Bucky were no longer sharing, Gabriel was out of a room…. Or so she thought! With growing horror, she noticed that beside her name, in his unmistakable scrawl, was Gabriel's name. She balled her hands into fists and stalked downstairs to the truck that held her stuff. Since he was the pack Leader, and he had made the change himself, he had in effect, pulled rank. She was pissed.

Angrily she grabbed a box labeled "Viv Bed" and began carrying it to the tower room, muttering darkly under her breath the entire way. Once in the room she slammed the box down and began pulling out pieces of her bed to set it up.

"Upset, babe?" The velvety-gravel voice could have been none other than Gabriel.

She threw a glare over her shoulder and didn't respond. As she did so, she noted with relief that Gabriel was setting up a second bed across the room. He didn't speak until his bed was finished. He then crossed the room and began to help with hers. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You didn't expect me to let you fix this by yourself, did you?" he asked. It was a rhetorical question, obviously. She growled and finished bolting the headboard together before stalking out of the room. She went across the hallway to where Ulf, Greg, and Bucky setting up beds individually. She sighed.

"Racing?"

"Yep", came the trio's response. She grinned and stepped into the room. "Anything I can help with?"

Bucky paused in bolting the legs together. "Yeah. If you want, you can start setting up Willem and Finn's beds. They're downstairs setting up the living room." She nodded and headed to the far corner.

Their beds were simple and easily set up. She was almost done setting up the last bed when both Greg and Ulf moaned. Apparently Bucky had won the race. Sure enough, Bucky soon came over to help finish setting up Willem's bed. It was done within ten minutes and by then Greg and Ulf had finished as well and were already downstairs carrying in their stuff.

She sighed. "I suppose I should finish getting my stuff."

Bucky frowned. "You haven't already? I thought that's why you offered to help; because you were done."

"No, but I suppose I should at least get my sheets and a change of clothes for tomorrow."

He studied her for a minute. "You don't like the bedroom setup, do you?"

"Was it that obvious?" Her sarcasm was unmistakable.

He frowned and studied her again for a long moment before saying slowly, "You know, Gabriel isn't the type of guy that would…. er-… sneak up- on you…while you're asleep."

She just shook her head and went back downstairs for her sheets and a change of clothes.

Vivian walked through the front door feeling calm and refreshed. She had just come back from a long run through the new territory, and found it to be beautiful. Everything was lush and green and ancient. The forest was timeless, the tall trunks of proud trees covered in soft green moss, the ground damp and soft. She loved it. The smell was even different, fresher. Time seemed to slip away and become unimportant.

She knew she was going to enjoy living here.

When she entered the kitchen, Esme and Renata were starting dinner. "Need some help?" she asked.

Esme turned and smiled. "Not unless you want to. We're having spaghetti. How was your run? Wonderful, isn't it?"

It was Vivian's turn to smile. "Yeah, it's like it's a whole other world." Esme nodded her agreement and turned back to the stove. Vivian, still feeling happier than she had in weeks, sauntered into the parlor-cum-game-room. Greg and Willem were engaged in a game of fuseball and Finn and Ulf were sitting on opposite sides of the couch, watching t.v. She plopped down between them with a sigh of contentment. "How'd things go while I was away boys?" Ulf turned to her with a grin and explained in detail how he'd carried in the settee by himself and Finn waited until he was done before relating his own story about having carried in three armchairs and several heavy boxes. Vivian listened patiently. Finn had the remote; she waited until he wasn't paying much attention before snatching it from his grip to change the channel. He gave her a look of pure bewilderment, and even Willem and Greg, who had been preoccupied with their game, paused to laugh at his expression. Vivian stood up and ran to the middle of the room, still holding the remote. Finn followed with a stormy expression. "What are you gonna do about it?" She teased playfully, waving the remote in his face. He then did what was most natural to a teenage boy in the throes of a violent desire for revenge and the television control: He tackled her. She squealed and curled into a ball, still clutching the remote as he tried uselessly to pry it from her. By then, all motion in the room had ground to a halt as the rest of the Four watched the two playfully wrestle for the remote. "No, no, Mine!" she squealed as he gripped the remote and pulled. She held on. "Finn! Let go! Give… me… the remote!" They were both sprawled on the floor trying to pull the remote from one another. "Fine." He released the remote but began to tickle her… mercilessly. She squealed shrilly and tried to stand but he was sprawled over her and held her down with one hand. "Finn! Fine, take it!" She tossed the offending item across the room, where Ulf scooped it up and changed the channel again. Finn paused and debated for a moment. "No… I think this is much more amusing." He resumed tickling her. She squealed again. "Finn! Stop it! Stop…. Stop it! Finn!" By this time, even Ulf had stopped flipping channels to watch. Greg and Willem were laughing.

The door was thrown open unceremoniously and Gabriel burst through. Everyone stopped what they were doing, even Finn.

"What the hell is going on?" He roared. Vivian smirked up at Finn. He glared at her. By way of explanation, he offered "She stole the remote." Vivian thought it was a pretty lame accusation, however well founded. That is, until Gabriel rounded an angry gaze on her. "Well, Vivian?"

She nodded and stood. "Well, his show was boring." Finn looked as if he was going to dispute that, but Gabriel silenced them all with a glare. "Then why were you screaming?"

Vivian rolled her eyes. "Because he was tickling me. I _told _him to stop" she added, and turned to Finn with a smirk. He looked a bit like a fish, the way his mouth was opening and closing. She figured he'd suffered enough, and decided to show him some mercy. "It's all right Gabriel, we were just wrestling." Gabriel's expression cleared, and he only gave Finn a parting glare before bestowing a quick kiss to Vivian's forehead. The door shut quietly after him. Willem, Greg, Ulf, and Vivian all burst into laughter, while Finn plopped back down on the couch and stared at her balefully. She ginned and sat down next to Ulf and Finn again. Finn sighed. "You're terrible."  
Her grin widened.

Dinner was a relatively quiet event. No one spoke much, unless it was to ask a question about the house or their things. The meal was enjoyable, which was strange because Esme had cooked. Vivian guessed that Renata had eventually taken the reins and fixed dinner. Everyone retreated to their rooms after dinner to get ready for school or work in the morning. Vivian stayed downstairs with Magda to help clean dishes. Bucky was with Thomas watching television in the other room.

"So how did the unpacking go today dear?" Magda finally spoke.

"It was…tiring." Vivian stifled a yawn.

"Well then, how about you go on upstairs? I'm almost done down here."

"No, no, that's okay. I'll help." Vivian was quick to answer. If the older woman noticed, she made no comment. The dishes were soon finished, and Vivian paused to say goodnight to Thomas and Bucky before heading upstairs.

Gabriel was already in bed when she quietly opened the door. She saw that her dresser had been brought in, as had a few other assorted items. She would have to thank Gabriel later. He appeared asleep, so she quietly grabbed some clothes out of her dresser and headed for the door, intending to go to the bathroom to change and shower. She was almost at the door when Gabriel spoke.

"Scared I'll peek?" he drawled lazily.

She started slightly. "I thought you were asleep. Did I wake you?" She chose to ignore his comment.

"No, I've been up."

"Oh. I'm going to go take a shower."

He just chuckled. She threw a dark look over her shoulder and shut the door a bit louder than was necessary on her way out.  
She stood appreciatively under the spray of warm shower, letting it loosen her muscles and calm her mind. She then washed her hair and turned off the water. It was as she was drying her hair that she noticed she'd forgotten her brush. She sighed and decided to brush it in the dark rather than wake Gabriel again.

She entered their room as quietly as before, hoping he would be asleep this time. Fate, however, was against her this night.

"Have a nice shower?" he rumbled softly.

She nodded, then realized he wouldn't be able to see. "Yeah." She searched for her brush and found it a few moments later. She began brushing her wet hair. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she somehow felt his eyes on her. "What?"

"I'd like to brush your hair for you." His voice sounded husky.

"Too bad." She replaced the brush and lay on her side, facing away from his bed. "Good night, Gabriel."

"Goodnight, babe", he replied.

The caterwauling of a well-known pop star broke her sleep. Vivian groaned and rolled over. The light flicked on. "What the hell is that?" She should have known Gabriel would hear it.

"Alarm", she muttered, and rolled over. She heard him chuckle and then her bed disappeared from underneath her. "What the-" She was set on her feet.

Gabriel was still chuckling. "It's time for all good students to be awake, Viv."  
She glared, but the effect was ruined by a yawn. She turned and grabbed the outfit she had set out last night before heading to the bathroom, muttering darkly about werewolves and steroids.  
The door wouldn't open when she turned the knob. "Open up!" she yelled.

It was Ulf that answered her. "Hold on Viv!" he called. She growled and waited for him to open the door so she could rip his face off. It opened only a moment later and Ulf emerged. It was foggy in the bathroom, so she imagined he had taken a shower. She changed and brushed her teeth and hair before opening the door, only to come face to face with an angry-looking Willem. "Took you long enough" he muttered. She chuckled at the irony. She went downstairs and sat at the table. It was already set with six places. Ulf and Greg were already sitting. "Where's Finn?" she asked. They shrugged.  
A few minutes later both Finn and Ulf appeared, along with Bucky. Bucky had found a job yesterday, and started this morning. Renata came in from the kitchen and set down a plate of eggs in front of everyone. Vivian thanked her and quickly ate, her eye on the clock. At a quarter till' seven she stood up.  
"Come on guys." The Four looked at her strangely.

"But isn't Gabriel taking you?" said Willem.

"Sure am", came a rumbling voice from the stairway. "Come on Viv."

"But how are the Four supposed to get to school?" she asked him.

"They're taking Raul's truck." He threw his leg over the motorcycle and it started with a growl. Vivian sighed, threw her bookbag on her back, and sat behind him. They were soon passing through the small town of Forks.

She would never have known which was the school if it weren't for the sign that identified several small buildings as Forks High School. Vivian noticed as they pulled into the parking lot that the Four were right behind Gabriel's bike, which meant that either the Four had left right after she had, or Finn was driving. It was reassuringly Willem behind the wheel though.  
Most of the students that were there turned to stare as Gabriel's motorcycle cruised through the parking lot. It was attracting a lot of attention. He pulled to a rumbling stop and the Four broke away from behind them to find a parking place. Vivian got off the bike and waved her goodbye before standing to wait for the Four. Gabriel motioned for her to come over though. She frowned and did so. "What?"  
He motioned for her to come closer. She did. "What is it Gabriel?" He grabbed her wrist and before she could pull away, he planted a warm kiss at the corner of her mouth. She yanked out of his grip immediately and glared at him icily. He laughed and drove away.  
She was suddenly aware that there were dozens of pairs of eyes on her. She ignored them and smiled faintly as Ulf, Greg, Finn, and Willem approached.

"Jeez, this place is tiny" complained Ulf.

"Yeah, but hey. We won't have too many problems finding the office." She grinned and walked with them as they started toward the small building on the edge of campus labeled "Office".

After receiving her schedule, she compared it with the Four. Ulf and Willem had Trigonometry together, and she and Greg had Calculus at the same period. Greg and Finn had sixth period together. They all had lunch at the same hour.

"Thank the Moon", Finn sighed.  
"Yeah", Vivian agreed. "I'm glad we have at least one hour together."

The bell rang then.  
"See you guys later", Vivian called "try not to get into _too_ much trouble." The Four grinned, but didn't deign to answer.

_I'm so ready for today to be over, _thought Vivian wearily. It was only one period until lunch, at least. She was tired of being the object of male worship for one day. The smell of lust permeated each room she entered, and it was giving her a headache. She sighed and scooped up her books as the bell rang. _Sweet Moon, and I've got calculus next! _she thought irritably. She was walking down the hallway when she thought this and noticed that one boy in particular looked at her as if he knew what she was thinking. She gave him a dirty look and entered her classroom. There were only a few empty seats. Greg wasn't there yet. She set her books down at a desk on her left and sat down. There was on more empty seat on her right.  
Vivian watched the doorway to see if Greg was coming or if he would be skipping today. She hoped not, for her sake. It was then that she saw the couple in the doorway. A beautiful young girl with chocolate-brown hair and an even more remarkable boy. He had bronze hair and golden eyes that didn't seem to fit his complexion. He was unnaturally pale and had deep shadows beneath his eyes. His face was so beautiful, it could have been the modeled after a Roman coin. It wasn't just his features that made him beautiful though, there was something.…different about him. Something not human. She pondered on this a moment while watching as the beautiful boy gave the beautiful girl a swift kiss and walked away, presumably to his next class. They made a good couple, she decided. The girl was the most beautiful that Vivian had seen in the school, and the boy was definitely the best looking of any guy she had seen here so far. As she thought this, the girl set her books down on the desk to Vivian's right and faced her with a hesitant smile.  
"Hi", she said with a voice that was musical, "my name's Bella Swan. It's your first day here, right?"

Vivian smiled lazily and gave a noncomittal answer, her eyes still on the door for Greg. He chose that moment to enter and sit beside her. She turned to him with a raised eyebrow as she moved her books off the desk so he could sit. He shook his head minutely and she nodded once, facing forward again. _Strange, _she thought. Why wouldn't he tell her what was up? His face was serious. She'd ask later.  
She turned back to the girl with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, that's my…cousin, Greg. I'm Vivian Gandillon." At the mention of his name, Greg turned to face Bella and as Vivian inhaled, she almost grimaced. Greg smelled of lust as he looked at Bella. The girl didn't seem to notice, however, because she was going on to ask how they liked it in Forks. "It's wonderful here. Everythings…green. And earthy." Bella smiled in response to something she'd said. Greg interrupted when Vivian would have spoken again. "So Bella, would you like to eat lunch with us today? You could meet our other…cousins." He smiled as he spoke. Vivian raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. He seemed infatuated with the girl. Bella hesitated before answering. "Uh, sure. Would you mind if I brought my….boyfriend?" Vivian almost laughed out loud as the scent that had been lust from Greg faded abruptly. She answered for him. "Sure Bella", she said with a genuine smile. The girl was likable, and knew how to put a guy off, that was for sure. The teacher walked in at that point, and the conversation ended.

After class ended and they were walking to the cafeteria, Vivian erupted in laughter. Greg scowled at her in silence until they had chosen a table and sat down. She didn't say anything aloud though, for which he seemed to be grateful. Ulf and Willem walked in several moments later and sat down with their trays, followed by Finn only a few seconds after that. Vivian spoke up. "Hey pups, be good today. There's a meat-girl sitting with us today." She smirked at Greg as she said this. He gave her the finger. The cafeteria was filling up by then, or she would have hit him.

She saw Bella walk in with the boyfriend that had been mentioned earlier. Greg's lips tightened imperceptibly. She watched as the duo approached their table, when suddenly the esteemed boyfriend's face tightened and he glared at the Four before turning an icy glare on her. It was then that she noticed it. That was what was wrong with him. That was why he was so beautiful, why he seemed to have heard her thoughts earlier. Was that what Greg had been trying to tell her before class? She looked at him and saw him nod minutely at seeing the question in her face. Did Bella know? Did she know that her 'boyfriend' was a vampire?

She felt a sudden, irrational protective urge. She wanted to take Bella away from this vampire, to keep her new friend safe from the bloodsucker. She saw the boy's eyes move from the Four to her, and they narrowed imperceptibly.

"Bella", he said tightly, "Alice is over there." He pointed to a table across the cafeteria from where they were standing, and saw another beautiful girl. Vivian's eyes widened. _Sweet Moon, there's two! _His eyes flashed back to Vivian's so suddenly she was sure he had heard her thoughts. She would have to be careful about that. She wasn't paying much attention to Bella's response but whatever it was angered the vampire, because a low growl bubbled up in his throat. No human could have heard it, but neither she nor the Four were human. She noticed that each of their eyes went to the leech as well.  
Bella and the vampire were talking again, but she wasn't paying attention, because suddenly his growl was louder, and he began shaking. Bella's eyes widened and flashed quickly to Vivian's apologetically before she turned to the bloodsucker.

"Edward", she said. "Edward, calm down. What's wrong?" she seemed concerned. _Concerned!_, thought Vivian wildly, _her boyfriend just growled at me!_ The 'boyfriend' in question's eyes narrowed again, as if he'd heard her thoughts. She was sure he had. In fact, she was absolutely certain he had.

"Uh, Bella…" she started uncertainly. Edward interrupted her. That was his name, right?  
He turned to look at her and the Four again. The latter were wearing expressions that ranged from bewildered to fury. "Hello", he said quietly, as if restraining himself from something, "my name is Edward Cullen." _Ah, I was right. _His eyes flashed to hers and narrowed. _Oops. _It seemed he was forcing himself to speak to her. "I was told you invited Bella to lunch. Would you mind if I joined you?"  
His expression dared her to say no. "Of course not." She forced herself to smile warmly. She decided she'd play innocent. Apparently the Four realized this, because they relaxed visably and looked at her expectantly.  
"I'm Vivian Gandillon. This is Greg, Ulf, Willem, and Finn." They nodded as she indicated them.

"So Vivian, when did you move here?" This from Edward.

"Yesterday, as a matter of fact." He was digging for information. How much should she tell him? She sighed mentally. It was going to be a long day.

"Oh?" He sounded intrigued. "From where?"

"We moved here from…" she glanced at Greg, who was the most sensible of the Four. He nodded. "from Maryland. The house was too small, and we were tired of living on the East Coast." She forced a smile to her lips as she spoke.  
"Really? Interesting. Who all came with you?" The question was stated innocently enough, but he was definitely digging for information. She evaded him with a smile. "Oh, just my family." He couldn't probe that much further without Bella becoming suspicious. He apparently noticed her tactics, because his eyes narrowed again. She noticed they were darker than they had been this morning. More like basalt than honey now. She wasn't sure that was a good thing. Apparently Bella had the same train of thought, because the next time she looked in his eyes, she frowned.  
"Listen, Vivian.. I have to get across campus for my next class, and Edward usually walks with me… Er-…I don't want to be late…" she trailed off with an apologetic smile. Vivian returned it.

"That's okay. See ya' later." Edward glared again; he obviously didn't like the idea of Bella being near her _ever._

She sighed heavily as the couple left. "So boys, what do we do? I know you know what I know." They all nodded slowly. She looked at Greg. "Was that what you were trying to tell me in Calc?"  
He nodded.

"Right." She spoke slowly. "So now what do we do?"

It was Willem that spoke up.

"Now we tell Gabriel."

**How was that? You like, yes? I hope so, because it took all day... literally. Please review! I'm a bit stumped. Whose POV should I use next? Bella's? Vivian's? How was the chapter? Did you like it? Did it suck? Please tell me! Are you sick of my questions yet? No? Good. What do you guys want to happen next? Any ideas you'd like to share? I have a general outline of the plot, but I want suggestions. **

* * *


	7. VERY VERY IMPORTANT!

**_Extremely Important Author's Note:_**

_HOLY CRUD._

I am **SOOOOOOOOOOOO **sorry for abandoning you guys, but I swear I didn't mean to, and I **WILL NOT** abandon this fanfic!!! I lost my password for this account, which also happens to be the password for the email that I use to get into this account.. So basically I had no way to get on here.

I'm incredibly proud of myself though, because I've been sitting here for almost four days trying to remember all of this, and I've now got my password changed over and saved everything in a word document so I'll never get locked out of my account again. EVER.

I PROMISE you guys, I'm working on the next chapter now, and I'll have it up before Wednesday. Don't give up on me please!!!!!!!! Reviews and hearing from you guys is what keeps me going, but in the meantime, I've also started another Fanfic on my other account, Antsbaby92. You should check that one out if you want something to do until I get this next chapter up. I'm a bit stumped, but I'll pick it up anyway. It might not be as good as the rest of the chapters so far, but I promise I'll try my hardest!!!!

I'm thinking of splitting this chapter into two parts, so that I can post some of it today or tomorrow.

_Please don't give up on me!! I won't abandon this Fanfic!!!!!_

- Heather


	8. Promises and Ping Pong Balls

**Author Note:** Here is the promised seventh chapter!! Please don't lose patience with me.. I haven't worked on this in quite a while.  
This chapter is in Bella's POV, and I think the next chapter will be in either Viv's, Greg's, or Gabriel's. Possibly Carlisle's. I'm not sure yet.. but I promise I'll update again soon! I know this chapter's short, but i'm working as hard as I can to get this right. Make sure to R&R please!

**Disclaimer: **Neither Twilight nor Blood and Chocolate is mine. However, the plot of this story in it's entirety is mine. The characters and places other than the Gandillon Mansion are not.

I was dragged unceremoniously from the lunchroom, as soon as Edward had established that we were out of sight. I'd never seen him this angry.

"Edward, what's wrong?"

His mouth was set in a grim line as he pulled me along behind him, albeit gently, uncomfortably to my next class. We stopped at our lockers and he waited for me to get my books, silent and brooding. I tried again. "Edward, are you okay?"

His answer was like a whip lash "I'm fine. It's you that's in trouble. Again."

Ouch. What had I done? "Edward… I don't understand. What did I do?"

At this he softened. "You didn't do anything. It's that new family that you sat with today."

I was curious. They didn't look like vampires, and I didn't know what else could possibly be wrong with them. He sighed.

"It's a very long story… But I want you to stay away from them. Promise me you will." His eyes were intently searching my face.  
I'm sure my expression was puzzled. "Will you tell me why?" I asked.

He hesitated. "I'm not sure.. I'll have to talk to Carlisle, but yes. We'll go talk to him after school if you want."

I nodded, making sure to clarify. "Yes, let's go talk to Carlisle."  
He brushed his marble fingers gently along my jaw line, his eyes steady on mine. My heart sputtered, and he smiled faintly. His eyes were intense as he studied my face.  
I closed my eyes. His lips traced my jawline, and I shivered. His breath tickled my neck.  
I was close to hyperventilating. "Bella…" He whispered reverently.  
"Yes?" I would do anything for him when he looked at me like that. Like I was precious, like I was the only thing that mattered to him. Like I was… special.

"Stay away from Vivian and her cousins, please?"  
Well, that effectively ruined the moment. I pulled away from him slowly and turned to shut my locker so he wouldn't see the turmoil on my face.  
"Edward…" His expression changed from gentle to worried in an instant. "Let's talk to Carlisle first, shall we?"

He sighed, and I figured he realized this was something I wouldn't be easily convinced of. Although why, I didn't know.  
There was something about Vivian that I liked instinctively. She was strong, funny, and seemed like she could handle herself well in just about any situation.

Of course, by the way Edward had reacted, I wasn't sure if that was a good thing. Although if she was a danger, he would have gotten me away from her without pretenses, wouldn't he?

I decided that thinking too much about it wasn't the best idea, and trudged along to fifth period solemnly, Edward at my side.

----------

"Bella, watch out!"  
Thud.  
I turned around to see what had hit me, rubbing my head cautiously. Mike Newton ran up to me, apologizing profusely.  
"What was that?" I asked.  
It had been a ping pong ball gone astray. It had, of course, found its way to me.

"It's fine, Mike" I assured him for the millionth time as I made my way to the bleachers. I figured I'd be safer out of the way.  
I heard a giggle and looked to my right. Three of Vivian's cousins were sitting higher up in the bleachers, laughing. Apparently they had seen my latest escapade. I recognized two of them as Ulf and Greg. Blushing extravagantly, I stood to go sit with them. They greeted me nonchalantly, and I assumed I had passed some sort of test, since they had been terrorizing other students all afternoon.

"So… How are you liking it here so far?" I asked. I was trying to start a conversation, and they luckily seemed content to talk to me.  
I noticed that Greg was looking closer than need be at my legs. I tugged the hem of my shorts down a bit, which earned me a smirk from him.  
"Eh, it's alright. Doesn't seem like there's much to do though", the youngest one replied.  
By the way they were dressed, it wouldn't seem like they would have many problems finding entertainment. That is, of the troublesome sort. I nodded and listened to their various likes and dislikes about Forks, and found them to be pretty good company. You could tell by the way they played around and bickered that they were very close.

The bell rang as I was finishing getting dressed. On my way to my gym locker, I ran smack into Vivian. "Oh, I'm sorry." It seemed my clumsiness was still intact.  
"Nah, It's fine", she answered with a smile. "I didn't know you had gym this period?" She asked  
"Sadly", I replied with a grimace.  
I was hoping the faculty would realize eventually that I was not cut out for the physical feats that were required of us in this class.  
She laughed. "Well, we should start hanging out during this class then."  
I found myself smiling. "Sure. That'd be great."

I waved and walked out of the gym as the second bell rang, only to run into the wall of Edward's chest. Today was just not my day. He put his hands on my shoulders to balance me, which was when I looked up and noted that his face was grim.  
"I asked you not to spend time with them, Bella."  
I found myself strangely upset that he was trying to limit me.  
"You haven't given me a good reason, and I don't think that talking to them during school presents much danger", I replied sternly.  
He was being uncharacteristically controlling about this. He sighed in resignation.  
"Why are you so angry about this?" I wanted to know.  
He just shook his head and walked with me to the Volvo.

**A/N:** What did you guys think?? I love reviews. (Hint, hint)


	9. Also Important Reeead

Okay guys… I have to be honest. I'm a bit disappointed. I'm writing this because it's interesting and I'd like to develop as a writer, but nobody leaves any sort of review lately.

2507 hits, and only 57 reviews. It's a tad disheartening.

Like it? Tell me. Don't like it? Leave me suggestions. Find something that could be improved? TELL ME.

I've started the next few chapters, but I want to know what you guys think so far.

So what I would reeeeally and truly appreciate from you guys is reviews telling me how I'm doing. If you don't like the way I'm portraying people, let me know! If you do/don't like the feeling of the story, leave me a tip or two, PLEASE! Also, since you guys have been bearing with me thus far, I'll give you a little spoiler. It'll be in Viv or Gabriel (suggestions?) POV, and I'm throwing in a bit of V&G fluff, since I know many of you are looking forward to it. :D

The next chap should be up sometime this week, I've just got to finish writing it and then check spelling and whatnot.

Thanks again!!!

Acita.


	10. Naps, Tangles, and Mono

**A/N:** _Thank you so much for all the new reviews/favs/alert adds guys!!!!! I took your opinions/suggestions and tried to tie it into this chapter, and I hope it worked. Also,_ _**huuuuuuge **thanks to my amazing beta Shattered-Angel-Of-Darkness!!!! I don't know what I'd do without you Bek!! Anyway though…Alright. Here's the promised Viv chapter. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this chapter, and I don't claim to own Twilight or Blood and Chocolate. I do however, own the plot._

**_Vivian POV_**

"Wait up!"The Four were running after her, all yelling various curses and threats. She turned and smirked. "Aw, worried about having to walk home, pups?"  
They glared. "No, we just don't want to have to walk when you could drive us instead", Ulf piped up.

She smiled. Esme had allowed her to take the Mazda to school today since they were in unfamiliar territory and Vivian had recently acquired her license.

She pondered as she drove, ignoring The Four completely as they bickered about the radio station.What was she going to tell Gabriel? That they had just found a new home after everything with Aiden, Astrid, and Rafe. Was she supposed to ask him to uproot The Pack again from their perfect new home because there were vampires? On top of that, she had to admit that she had really clicked with Bella. Girlfriend of a leech or not, the meat-girl was charismatic and kind. She also seemed very understanding when Vivian had told her a bit about the move. Vivian didn't want to give up the chance of an actual friend, but at the same time, was she willing to risk the Pack again for her own follies? She sighed. _I suppose the best thing to do is just tell Gabe. He'll know what to do._

It wasn't until later that she realized that not only had she used a nickname for him, but she'd mentally referred to him with absolute faith in his ability to protect her and the Pack.

Vivian slammed the car door after retrieving her bag, frustrated with her current situation. To make matters worse a drizzle had started, leaving her hair and clothes damp. After insuring that the car was locked, she walked up the driveway sluggishly, yanked the door open, and tossed her bag on the couch in the sitting room. She followed suit, plopping down and closing her eyes. Why was this so difficult? _It's just one girl_. She snorted. _Yeah, that and a family of vampires_.

It seemed strange that she hadn't seen anyone since she came inside. She dismissed it as luck. Everyone seemed to be in everyone else's way lately, since some of the adults had yet to employ themselves. Esme and Renata had managed to land a job at one of the town's only two bars, and Bucky was working down at an auto shop in town. Thomas was useless, as far as she saw it. He stayed in the house, occasionally helped clean, and spent all his free time either with Vivian's mother or watching television. Rolf and Raul were working at the local grocery store stocking, and Gabriel had somehow managed to secure a job at the local police station. As she mentally took stock of where everyone would be, she realized that only she, Thomas, Aunt Persia, The Four, Magda, and Lucien would be home right now. Esme and Renata should still be home, but they were probably going in early in the hopes of securing the manager's approval. Gabriel would be getting home in approximately a half-hour, as would Rolf. She didn't know when everyone else would be returning.

Vivian looked over at her books, and the stack of homework she knew was waiting, sighed, walked upstairs, presently collapsed in a bed in her room, and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

It was dark outside when she felt someone nudging her gently. She grumbled and rolled over, and was rewarded with a rumbling chuckle. The nudge was a bit firmer this time, but she ignored it all the same. The only explanation she could mentally give herself for this exhaustion was the recent stress. She heard another chuckle, and the bed rose a bit, as if a weight had been removed. She was drifting into unconsciousness again when suddenly she was pushed over not-so-subtly and the bed went down again. Startled awake, she looked over to see a half-naked Gabriel lying beside her, smirking. She glared and swallowed thickly, trying to ignore the muscled bicep resting at eye-level. "What's going on?" She asked, half-angry, half confused.  
"Just goin' to bed, Viv. Couldn't go to sleep with you sprawled across my bed like that." His smirk grew more pronounced. She then realized that it must have been Gabriel's bed she'd fallen asleep on. In her daze, she must have not noticed.Vivian was partly afraid, but remembered what Bucky had said the day before about Gabriel not being the type to sneak up on someone. The room seemed smaller suddenly; her flesh crawled with the claustrophobia. She nonetheless took Bucky's statement at face value- consequences be damned- managed to yank an oversized hoodie off the bedpost and put it on, rolled over so she was facing away from him, pulled the covers up, and was promptly asleep again.

* * *

Sunlight peeked through the shutters. Vivian languidly sat up and was about to stretch her arms above her head when she froze. Cuddled up against her, snoring quietly, was Gabriel. She swallowed her yelp of surprise and slowly lay back down. Almost as if it were not her body, she saw her hand reach out and lightly stroke the side of his jaw. She shuddered as she felt the stubble on his face, sending delicious chills down her spine. She pondered mentally. When exactly had she begun to wonder what it would be like to wake up beside him? She couldn't remember. All she knew was that this Gabriel, the sleeping, innocent Gabriel, fit the description of what she thought he might look like when he was a boy: peaceful and somehow fragile. Not the rugged, sometimes compassionate, flirtatious Gabriel she knew now. It made her wonder what he would be like were they truly mates…_Nope. Not going to think about it_. 

A moment later, her train of thought broken, she glanced at the clock. And almost jumped out of her skin. "Shit!" She leaped up with every intention of running for the bathroom, changing, and speeding off to school, but was stopped suddenly in midair.  
It appeared that she had come face-to-ribcage with a brick wall. Oh, wait, that was Gabriel. _Shit!_ How long had he been awake?? _No time to think of that now Viv_, she chided herself. She might be able to make it to fourth period in time if she hurried. "Relax Vivian. Lay down." Gabriel's gravelly voice drifted over the comforter, and she found herself obeying.  
"But I'm late for school!" she squealed.  
"Nah, you're not. You're not going to school today. Called and told them you had a headache. You looked pretty wiped out so I figured you might need the day off today. You've been through a lot lately." Vivian smiled a bit. He'd let her stay home today because he thought she'd been too stressed. She almost hugged him.  
"Thanks", she mumbled. "Wait, what about work?" She was confused. "You don't have a job, Vivian.""I know that", she grumbled. "But you do." "Got the day off. Do me a favor, go back to sleep", he groaned tiredly.She glared, got out of bed, and proceeded to make her way to the kitchen. It seemed the house was mostly empty, except for Thomas and Esme of course. However, Magda was in the kitchen making toast when Vivian started hunting through the cupboards. "So… How was your night, dear?" Magda asked with a bit of a twinkle in her eye. Vivian growled softly.  
"Fine, thanks."  
Magda looked almost flustered. "Did…things.. go okay?"  
It suddenly clicked. "We. Are. Not. Sleeping. Together." She made each word distinct.  
"With you staying home today and him taking off work, I just figured…" Magda trailed off. "Wait, he took the day off?" Vivian frowned.  
"Of course. He was supposed to be working until 7:00 tonight." Put that way, she could understand Magda's assumption. Vivian nodded and filled a cup of coffee. Thank god for the new percolator. She took a sip, sighed peacefully, and walked back upstairs. She could use a nap. Why was she so tired all of a sudden? Although logically it seemed just about right, she'd never needed excessive sleep.  
_Oh well,_ she thought. _Don't fight the feelin'._

* * *

When she woke up that night, Vivian decided to see a doctor. Although she'd slept for almost a full twenty-four hours, she was still unrefreshed. She informed Esme of this, who looked confused.  
"You could ask Aunt Persia instead", she suggested.  
Vivian hadn't thought of that. When she paid Persia a visit later, however, Aunt Persia made it clear that she dealt only with healing and illnesses of the _Loup-Garou_, and that Vivian's symptoms weren't something Persia recognized.  
Vivian was in the kitchen later, starting dinner and thinking of a way to tell Gabriel about Bella's boyfriend when Esme came in and announced that Vivian wouldn't be going to school the next day, for she had called the local hospital to ask a nurse. Vivian's symptoms pointed to either an extremely sluggish teenager, or Mononucleosis. Theoretically, _Loup-Garou_ weren't often affected with human viruses, but then again it wasn't impossible. She was glad for the day off, anyhow. 

Gabriel came inside just as everyone was sitting down to a rather large dinner. Free time on Vivian's part and good shopping on Renata's had made for a hearty meal. Gabriel looked at the table appreciatively before he slipped into the chair by Vivian's, which had circumstantially been left empty. He piled his plate full before he addressed Vivian.  
"What time did you wake up today? When I left you were still asleep."  
"Around 6:00. Where were you?"  
"Auto shop. Had to change the oil on my bike and I stopped to talk to Bucky. Dinner's delicious, by the way."  
"Thanks", mumbled Vivian. He nodded and continued shoveling food into his mouth. Vivian wondered if now was an appropriate time to talk to him about the leech. She decided to wait until before bed. She wondered idly whether he would expect her to share his bed again tonight. Somehow the prospect didn't seem as frightening as it had the night before. When she was through eating, Vivian excused herself and slipped upstairs for a shower. She stood under the hot spray for a long time, letting the water soothe and relax her muscles before she washed off and stepped out. She put on her favorite flannel pajamas and a large t-shirt, since there was no way she would be sleeping nude with Gabriel around, although that was what she normally preferred.

Walking into the bedroom, Vivian sat on her bed with a brush and began to work the tangles out of her damp hair. She didn't notice Gabriel walk in until he had taken the brush from her hand. She growled softly but didn't object as he began to run the brush in gentle strokes through her hair. She decided now was as good a time as any. "Gabriel…" she started. The brushstrokes were steady, calming. "There's a bit of a situation."  
"And that is?" he replied lazily. Vivian winced as the brush passed over a tangle. He murmured an apology. Vivian continued. "There are - Five vampires.. At the new school." The brushstrokes paused. "At your high school. Vampires." He seemed as if he was trying to digest the possibility.  
He sighed. "You're sure?" Vivian nodded. "Nothing about them is… human. Their eyes are strange. Their movements too graceful. They smell strange. They're too alert, constantly. It's just really obvious. Every muscle in my body screams for the change, for protection, when they're around. I can just tell."  
Gabriel nodded. "That sounds about right. I'm the only one you've told?"  
"Yes. The Four know; Greg tried to tell me but didn't get a chance." Gabriel nodded again. "I'll look into it. I'd like you to find out a bit more though, if you can. Be very careful though; you might be at school but it's still not safe for you to be around them. Make sure you tell the Four to be on guard around them also. The reason you want to change around them is because our species are natural enemies."  
Vivian nodded. She'd talk to Bella a bit more when she got back to school. She was lost in thought and it was when Gabriel set the brush down and tilted her chin up that she came back to the present. His face was quite close to hers suddenly. A heady masculine scent drifted to her nose. Like forest fires, pine wood, and the smell of the earth after it rains. It was rather intoxicating, she admitted a reluctantly. She found herself staying perfectly still as his face slowly lowered to hers. His lips gently brushed her cheekbone and he pulled away, the side of his mouth turned up in a slight smirk. "You're getting better about that", he teased. She growled, flung her brush- which missed, humiliatingly- at him, yanked her covers over her head, and ignored the rumbling chuckle that proceeded.  
As she fell asleep though, she found herself replaying the kiss in her head over and over.

_**A/N:** What do you guys think?? I wasn't too sure about this chapter, but I felt I just had to put It up here. It shows how much Viv is coming to like Gabe… however unwillingly lol. I also thought that since you've been asking for a bit of fluff (and I've been dying to write some lol) I could tie it into her chat with Gabriel. Don't be disappointed with his reaction to the vamps though; the next chapter is possibly in his POV and if it is we'll see what he really thought. Also possibly either Bella's or Edward's. Opinions?Hope I didn't disappoint you guys. Let me know what you thought!!!!!!!! )_


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